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About Spaceline
U.S. Astronaut Selection Drafts |
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MERCURY-ATLAS Fact Sheet
The Mercury-Atlas was essentially an Atlas D missile adapted to carry a NASA Mercury capsule. The engine thrusts were exactly the same as the operational Atlas D ICBM, with only the flight profile modified to carry the Mercury spacecraft into orbit. Additional safety features were built into certain Atlas D systems to protect the astronauts. It was a Mercury-Atlas rocket that successfully boosted the MA-6 Friendship 7 capsule with John Glenn aboard. Glenn became the first U.S. astronaut to orbit Earth. Back to Cape Canaveral Rocket and Missile Programs Index © Copyright 1998 by Clifford J. Lethbridge |
| For more information, contact: Cliff Lethbridge cliff@spaceline.org Spaceline, Inc. P.O. Box 627 Cape Canaveral, FL 32920 |
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For Inquiries and Cape Canaveral Launch Updates, call: (321) 722-6070 FAX: (321) 768-8382 |